I was growing into a handsome horse. My coat was soft and bright black. I had one white foot and a white star on my forehead.
My master did not want to sell me until I was four years old. He said young horses should not work too early. They need time to grow.
When I was four, Squire Gordon came to see me. He looked at my eyes, my mouth, and my legs. I had to walk and trot for him.
"He will be a good horse after his breaking in (teaching a horse to wear equipment)," the Squire said. My master decided to do this himself. He did not want me to be scared.
"Breaking in" means teaching a horse many things. A horse must learn to wear a saddle (a seat for a rider) and a bridle (the straps on a horse's head).
He must learn to carry a person on his back. He must go where the person wants. He must always be quiet and calm.
A horse also learns to wear a harness (the straps used to pull a cart). He must pull a carriage behind him. He must go fast or slow when the driver wants.
He must never be afraid of things he sees. He must not speak to other horses. He must not bite or kick. He must always do what his master wants.
I was already used to a small rope around my head. But now I had to wear a bit (a piece of metal that goes in a horse’s mouth). My master gave me some oats.
Then he put the bit into my mouth. It was a horrible thing! It was a cold, hard piece of steel. It sat between my teeth and over my tongue.
The bit was held in place by leather straps. I could not get it out of my mouth. It felt very bad. But my mother always wore one, so I tried to be brave.
Next, I had to wear the saddle. This was not as bad as the bit. My master put it on my back gently. Daniel held my head while the master finished.
The master talked to me and gave me oats. He did this every day. Finally, one morning, the master sat on my back. He rode me around the field.
It felt very strange to have a man on my back. However, I felt proud to carry my master. I soon became used to it.
The next difficult thing was the iron shoes. My master took me to the smith (a person who makes things from iron). The smith took my feet in his hands.
He cut a part of my hoof. It did not hurt. Then he took a piece of iron and put it on my foot. He used nails to fix the shoe to my hoof.
My feet felt very heavy and stiff at first. But in time, I became used to the shoes. Now I was ready to learn about the harness.
I had to wear a heavy collar on my neck. I also wore a bridle with blinkers (leather pieces that stop a horse from seeing to the side). I could only see in front of me.
There was also a strap under my tail. I hated that strap. I wanted to kick, but I did not kick my kind master. Soon, I could do my work well.
My master also sent me to a different farm for two weeks. This farm was next to a railway. There were sheep and cows in the field.
I will never forget the first train. I was eating grass when I heard a loud sound. A long black train flew past me with a lot of smoke and noise.
I galloped to the other side of the field. I was very afraid. Many other trains went by that day. Some trains made a loud shriek before they stopped.
The cows did not care about the trains. They continued to eat grass. After a few days, I saw that the trains did not hurt me. I stopped being afraid.
Since then, I am never afraid at railway stations. I am as calm as I am in my own stable. This is because my master was very careful with me.
My master often drove me with my mother. She was very steady. She taught me how to behave. She told me that good horses receive good treatment.
"There are many kinds of men," my mother said. "There are good men like our master. Every horse is proud to serve a man like him."
"But there are also bad, cruel men," she said. "And there are foolish men who do not think. These men ruin many horses because they are not wise."
"I hope you find a good home," my mother finished. "A horse never knows who will buy him. But you must always do your best."